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| Selecting Seeds |
| A growing Medium |
| Preperation |
| Keeping them going |
| I followed some examples from various sources on the net. Taking a ripened Jalapeno from my garden plant, I harvested the seeds by gently cleaning them from the flesh inside with my fingernail. This gave me a great burning sensation under my nails for the rest of the day. The next time I used something else. A hard plastic knife or spatula is ideal, as it is imperative not to damage the seed in any way. I then selected the best seeds and picked out those that were discoloured or not right looking. Then, I placed them into a small tray and placed them out of the way for a few weeks to dry � being careful to make sure none were touching. |
| A source of warmth |
| Errors |
| What you will need |
| Meanwhile, the ten seeds I counted out were soaking for about three to four hours in a starter solution. (5 ml of mixture in 1 litre of water) I was careful to look for any seeds that floated, as these are unlikely to germinate. Mine all sank. Next I placed a seed in each hole, careful not to let them fall too far in, as this decreases their likelihood of germinating. Then I covered them over with a pinch of seedling mixture I had retained from tipping in at the start. I then watered the soil again with a fine spray of 5:100 parts of starter solution, placed the plastic cover over the little punnet and placed it on a warming tray designed for that very purpose. |
| Others have suggested placing the kit on top of a hot water system or above the fridge to keep a constant temperature, but nothing in my house is good for this. I purchased a small warming mat from a hydroponics supplier for a reasonable sum and a tray and cover designed specifically for germinating seeds. This has worked well, but to keep the heat in at night, I keep a folded towel over it at all times. Where I live is presently winter, so if I don�t keep these little guys warm, they will not germinate. Around 18 degrees or more I am told. Over the next week, I restrained myself wanting to peek at my little babies, but waited. When I did look, hooray! All had germinated and had 5 ml stems. Straight away I put them into my specially converted fish tank and so far, they are looking very healthy. |
| For the purpose of cultivating my seedlings, I commandeered from a family member an unused 76cm X 30cm fish tank passed down from my grandfather. This proved useful for a time, but I had difficulty when I needed to water the plants or adjust the direction they were facing. Initially I had a lamp rigged above the seedlings with a special incandescent globe, but have since discarded this type of light as it was too hot and expensive to run and it tended to scorch the leaves even at the suggested distance. I then rigged up a fluorescent light and suspended it about 10 centimetres above the seedlings. This produced a vast improvement in their photosynthetic absorption and the pale and scorched seedlings began to take on a greener hue. However, as mentioned, I had to mess around with the light when I needed to tend to the plants. What I did then was commandeer another disused fish tank. This was much bigger and fortunately, one whole side was smashed, and as the owner was going to throw it out, I was grateful for their previous little accident. I carefully removed all the broken glass and glued some 5 cm angle on all the corners. I glued in a centre at the front and attached some channel at each end and in the centre, allowing me to have two drop down doors. I cut some clear Perspex sheeting for these doors and hooray; I had a much-improved indoor chilli hothouse. Now I have two low watt heating-mats underneath, an old quilt over the top and some warm baby chilli plants. The task again was to provide an even better source of light, so I put in two larger fluorescent lights for my new tank and suspended them above the plants by chains at either end, this allowed the light to be raised when the plants grew taller. My next step was transferring them to small pots and introducing them to the green house I am constructing in the back yard. God willing, I will have a great harvest this year. |
| Some errors I have learned so far is that you need to take the plants out as soon as they germinate, otherwise they grow too tall and pale, like bean shoots. These plants still grow, but the stems don�t thicken up or get enough light to turn the proper shade of green. Do not over water the seedling mix, as this tends to rot the seeds. Do not place the seeds too far into the growing medium, as they don�t tend to grow. Keep them warm both at seed and seedling stage. Buy or commandeer everything you need up front. Keep your seedlings hydrated, especially when it is hot. |
| Next, I purchased a small seed-starting kit that came complete with a punnet, a cover, a packet of seed raising mix and some seeds, which were not chilli seeds, so they went in the bin. A friend of mine purchased the same with Jalapeno seeds, but only one germinated, took one look at the world, and then died. This suggested that the seeds may have been too old or something. I tipped the seeding mix into the container, keeping a small amount back for later, then lightly watered it so it was not too wet, just damp. I then created ten holes about 1 cm in diameter and about 5�6 millimetres deep. |
| The following list is a suggested starting point. Good seeds Seed raising mixture Starter solution or liquid fertiliser 2 Sterile watertight containers with measuring increments on the side Gloves Spray bottle for watering plants 3 Low containers for growing seedlings and germinating seeds Heating mat if no other appropriate place in the house can be found Propagation tray for over the mat and a suitable cover with closable vents in the side A fish tank or similar environment to contain your early garden A window allowing natural light Another heating mat for seedlings if temperatures drop below 18 degrees A good fluorescent light that can be suspended above plants and adjusted higher when they grow A small fan to simulate wind to strengthen the stems An understanding wife/husband, friend or neighbour Patience |
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